


how long? (will you stay?)

by HybridMoon_6



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/F, Fluff, Soft for each other, if raelle was captured by the camarilla, post season one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 11:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25968970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridMoon_6/pseuds/HybridMoon_6
Summary: The witchbomb did not happen. At the end of season one, Raelle gets captured by the Camarilla who use a seed that sends her into the future she shares with Scylla. Raelle works through her feelings. They are soft for each other.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 38
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter I

Raelle scrunched her eyes against the sunlight, nuzzling deeper into the sheets. She was warm, content, sleepy. Everything was okay, blissful even. The warmth of the person next to her was comforting.

A person.

She tensed up as the realization hit. Someone was in bed with her. Right next to her. The length of their body against her own, arm thrown snug across her waist, and face buried in the crevice between her neck and shoulder. She opened her eyes carefully, scanning the room.

This was not right. She was not here. Moments before she had been imprisoned by the Camarilla. They had just started torturing her. They sang a seed so painful she felt as though her soul was ripping out of her body.

The person stirred and stretching against Raelle, who stiffened and scanned the room again, resisting the urge to run. But she froze when she saw a photograph on the back wall of the bright room. She just barely made out her own face, but the person next to her hid her face in Raelle’s shoulder. She was so familiar, but the sunlight distorted the image and a breeze wafted sheer curtains through the open window, casting shadows across the glass.

The arm around her waist clenched the fabric of her t-shirt. Raelle shifted onto her back and contorted her neck to get a good look at the person. Eyes were closed, hair messed, but there was no mistaking the woman’s identity.

Scylla.

Raelle jolted away, sitting up and half leaping out of bed before she realized she had no where to go, no idea where she was, or what was going on. Furthermore, she was did not appear to be wearing anything. So, she sat on the edge of bed, tangled in the sheets, heart racing, and angry as feelings of hurt and betrayal surfaced.

The bed creaked as Scylla embracing her from behind. “Morning,” she whispered sleepily, pressing a drawn-out kiss on the top of her head.

Eyes fully adjusted to the sunlight, she now saw the photograph clearly. It was Scylla. Her and Scylla on the beach. Happy.

She grabbed Scylla’s arm, intent on wrenching it away, but hesitated. The Camarilla had used a strange seed on her. How was it possible to be here? She gripped the only thing that felt close to reality. Scylla’s hand. Her breath came quickly and she closed her eyes against the mass of spiraling thoughts.

Scylla pulled Raelle closer and stroked her forehead with a gentle hard. “Alright?”

“Yeah,” Raelle muttered, content for the moment but still very annoyed at Scylla. But a more powerful emotion stirred afterwards. “I thought they were going to kill you,” she said.

Scylla stilled, then shifted in front of Raelle. It had been so long since Raelle had looked into those eyes. The sadness and longing were still there, but faded, replaced by something else. Something calm. She shrugged. “Didn’t work out.”

Raelle did not respond, only stared in amazement at Scylla in flesh and blood before her.

“It was just a dream, Rae.” Scylla gave her a chaste kiss, the feeling eliciting further emotion.

“But I just left you there,” Raelle said, tearing up.

Scylla looked annoyed now, She got out of bed and grabbed articles of clothing from a nearby closet.

Raelle watched her wordlessly, the confident movements bringing back memories of not so long ago. Before the wedding. When they had complete faith in each other.

Scylla frowned now, seeming to debate something. Finally, she threw the clothes at Raelle and kissed her again. “I love you. Now get dressed. You look like death.”

“You would know.” Raelle could not resist.

It brought the faintest smile to Scylla’s face as she shook her head and went to the other side of the room to throw the curtains aside, revealing the scenery further.

The beach. They lived by the beach.

“Rae,” Scylla said softly, beside her again. Intertwining one of her hands in her own, she pressed her forehead against Raelle’s. The other hand on her cheek. “We’ve talked about this. You have no reason to feel bad.”

Raelle looked up, staring more at Scylla’s neck than anything, too nervous to look at her eyes, before resting her head on her shoulder.

She should be angry, upset, emotional. Instead, she felt utterly content. As if everything she needed was right here.

It was.


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitchen fluff. Scylla tries to link with Raelle. Raelle runs away.

Scylla made her sit down at the small table in “their” snug kitchen while she fixed breakfast. It was an activity Raelle never imagined Scylla doing, but there she was wearing civilian clothes and scrambling eggs, pausing to toss a wry look Raelle’s way every so often. There was a softness behind the snarky expression she could not figure out.

“Judging my cooking abilities?” Scylla turned towards Raelle as she jostled a pan of hash browns over the stove.

Raelle blinked. “What? No.”

If anything, she was taken aback by Scylla’s niceness. It was so different from betrayal, guilt, and hopelessness Raelle had felt towards the memory of her girlfriend not so long ago. Surely, Scylla ought to feel those things, too. Raelle looked away, rubbing the back of her neck and gazing out the screen door. Towards the beach.

“Hey.”

Scylla was holding her again, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders.

“You alright?”

She stroked her hair gently, fondly almost. Then, leaned her forehead against Raelle’s. The eye contact was too much. She looked away instantly, but a familiar feeling coursed through her body and she looked back. The beating of her own heart amplified, matching Syclla’s own.

Linking.

Raelle jumped out of her chair, stumbling out of Scylla’s arms in shock and something else.

Fear.

“Rae,” Scylla began, eyes wide.

Sizzling.

Scylla stared at her for a moment longer, then turned back to the stove and moved the burning pan. Raelle stared for a moment before bolting through the screen door and running.

The beach.

It was nothing like the one by Fort Salem. This beach was brighter somehow. She had the feeling they were far away from their old training grounds.

It did not take long before she heard the screen door open again. The resulting slam triggered an unpleasant sensation and she realized she had an awful headache. Scylla’s footsteps crunched steadily behind. Raelle took a deep breath and felt the salt air pervade her senses. This felt like something that could become a happy memory. Unlike her previous experience at the beach…

Scylla stopped right behind her. Waited.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked,” she finally said, but confusion lined her voice. “I can leave you alone.”

Raelle had been alone for so long.

“I don’t want that,” she said.

So Scylla embraced her from behind, resting her head on Raelle’s shoulder. They stood like that for what must have been minutes, until she placed her hands on top of Scylla’s and grasped them tightly. Syclla kissed her neck and the action brought such a feeling of comfort that she turned and met Scylla’s eyes searchingly.

I still love you, she thought, but she said, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Scylla said, smiling. And all the wryness had disappeared from that smile.

“I’m getting hungry,” Raelle said, mostly to distract herself from the emotions that suddenly overwhelmed her.

Scylla drew back with a smirk and grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the house.

“To be fair, I was trying to feed you.”

This Scylla was wholly content. She did not question the return of Raelle’s love. This evoked an emotive response that resulted in a lump in Raelle’s throat. She did not fight it this time, but gripped Scylla’s hand tighter.

There was plenty of time to figure out how they got here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planning to keep going with this. Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scylla's POV. Scylla is worried. Raelle tries to communicate. It ends poorly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updating this fic. Scylla's POV this chapter.

Something was clearly wrong with Raelle. Nightmares were explainable, expected even. Her wife had them many times in the past, but they had never extended into erratic behavior during the day like this. She had calmed down since running off during breakfast, but Scylla was still concerned while she finished up the dishes. Raelle was in the next room, sitting on the sofa and staring blankly.

Scylla finished up the last dish and dried her hands before joining her.

Raelle looked up right away and Scylla did not understand her expression. Was it curious, apprehensive, afraid, angry? It reminded her of the time between Raelle’s rejection in the Fort Salem holding cell and their eventual reconciliation during the Spree-Military alliance. Open, but distrusting. Longing, but expecting to be burned.  
Unsure what to do, Scylla sat next to her wife and kissed her cheek, gauging her reaction. Raelle stiffened but did not pull back. Scylla had a sudden fear that Raelle did not want her anymore, that she was hiding something. Why else would she react to linking so intensely?

“Feeling better?” she asked.

Raelle exhaled deeply and nodded, breaking eye contact.

Scylla rested a hand on Raelle’s knee as the feeling of helplessness grew.

“Is something wrong? I’m starting to worry.”

Raelle placed her own hand on top and met her gaze. “I – don’t know how to explain.”

There was such frustration and helplessness in Raelle’s voice. Scylla moved closer and intertwined their fingers. “We’ve got all day,” she said teasingly.

“The Camarilla.”

Scylla froze. She had not expected to hear that name spoken again, least of all by Raelle, who was looking at her expectantly now.

“You dreamed about them?”

Raelle nodded slowly, then shook her head. “It wasn’t a dream,” she whispered.

Scylla’s heartrate sped up. “What do you mean?”

“They captured me.”

“Yes,” Scylla said slowly when her wife did not continue. “That was a long time ago.”

“No, they captured me and now I’m here and I don’t know how I got here.”

The frantic note in Raelle’s voice unnerved Scylla.

“But it was just a dream. You’re safe. We both are.”

Raelle got up and paced angrily to the window, clenching both fists at her sides.

“You don’t get it. You never did.”

Where was this coming from? Scylla thought back on the last month. There had been little squabbles sure, but their relationship had been solid overall.

“Rae –“

“No! I’m trying to tell you something important.” Raelle’s face flushed with emotion.

Scylla took an even breath. “I’m listening,” she tried to say calmly. “But I’m confused.”

Instead of reacting again, Raelle turned away. Scylla saw the tears begin to fall and rushed over, hesitating to touch her wife.

“This isn’t real,” Raelle whispered.

Scylla reached and held Raelle’s face in her hands. “I’m real. We’re both real. Look at me, Raelle. You are safe.”

There was a moment of connection, a stilling of tears, then Raelle slumped forward as a cloudy look overcame her blue eyes. Scylla caught her as she fell to the floor.

“Rae,” Scylla muttered, hands on her wife’s still face. “Rae, wake up!”

Raelle was unconscious for several seconds until she opened her eyes groggily and slumped forward. She braced a hand on the floor and tried to get up.

“Don’t get up just yet,” Scylla said, quickly holding her down.

“What happened?”

“You fainted.”

“Oh. That’s weird.”

“I don’t know. You were – emotional.”

Raelle rested her head on floor again and looked up at Scylla trustingly, the usual undercurrent of contentment back.

“I guess I drank too much. Last thing I remember is you and I – well, you know,” she said with a wink.

Scylla stroked her cheek carefully. “You don’t remember this morning?”

“What do you mean?”

Raelle frowned and Scylla felt her pull at their link. She shook her head.

“You need to rest first, baby.”

The last thing she needed was a groggy Raelle flooded with a morning of memories she did not recall. The current of fear grew, wrapping itself around Scylla. The pessimist in her was not surprised by today’s events and she kicked herself mentally for thinking they could have their happily ever after with no hiccups.


	4. Chapter IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The "real" Raelle wakes up and Scylla worries over her. Because, of course, she does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a minute, guys. Here's the next chapter!

_Scylla's POV_

Scylla carried Raelle back to bed. She'd insisted she was fine, of course - clearly, she wasn’t – but she let Scylla take her with little resistance. If Scylla used a little magic to assist, it had everything to do with the emotional exhaustion of the day and nothing with her physical strength.

Nothing at all.

Yet Raelle’s lack of stubbornness was indicative of something deeper. As Scylla tucked her wife into bed more thoroughly than necessary – Raelle laughed at her - she could not help the tension in her brow.

Raelle brought her hand to Scylla’s face, still laughing. “Out with it. What did I do? Too much moonshine?”

Scylla cringed, hovering over Raelle and fussing with the comforter.

“You weren’t drunk.”

“Not even a little?” Raelle teased.

Scylla shook her head fondly, her annoyance covered by a smile.

Raelle grabbed the hand still tucking at the sheets. “Practicing swaddling skills?”

Scylla didn’t have the heart to laugh. She sank her face into her hand.

Immediately, Raelle grasped her waist comfortingly, a flash of insecurity in her eyes.

“What happened, Scyl?”

Her voice was small.

Scylla reached out to stroke Raelle’s hair. “You woke up from a nightmare and weren’t yourself. It was like you didn’t remember the past five years. Then, you fainted.”

“Oh.”

Oh, indeed.

“It could have been sleepwalking! Maybe I wasn’t even awake.”

Scylla frowned. Sometimes she wanted to burn the optimism right out of her wife. But she nodded and kissed Raelle on the forehead instead. “How do you feel now?”

“Hey, don’t look so concerned. I’m fine. Just a little tired. Oh, shoot!”

Raelle’s eyes flashed with pain, glazed over, and clenched shut.

“Rae.” Scylla despised the fear in her own voice as it heightened in pitch.

“I’m fine. Just a muscle spasm. In the back of my head. Nothing to worry about.”

Scylla lay next to Raelle, propping herself up on an elbow, bringing Raelle into her arms, and laying kisses on her temple.

“Not goin’ anywhere,” Raelle muttered.

Scylla scoffed. “Tell me that next week.”

“Hey! I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Rae, if you’re having nightmares – "

“I’m fine,” Raelle said firmly, lifting herself up to make eye contact.

And Scylla let herself be lulled by the firm assurance. Let herself get lost in the kiss Raelle planted on her lips. Felt the calm and steady beat of her heart as they linked in that familiar rhythm. In the connection, Scylla found no memories of this morning. It was as if it had been a dream. Yet as Scylla felt her own reservations slip away, Raelle’s own face tensed up.

“Weird,” Raelle muttered.

Scylla shifted, hiding her face in Raelle’s shoulder, and letting a wave a calm settle over her.

“Probably just a nightmare, though,” Raelle said, but she sounded less certain now.

“Probably,” Scylla whispered, nuzzling in closer and willing it to be true.

After all, if it wasn’t then something much worse was going on. And she would rather not think about that. Not after how hard they had fought for this chance at a “normal” life together.

“Just a nightmare,” Raelle repeated, and it echoed in Scylla’s mind as sleep captured her, content in Raelle’s tight embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I'm not super happy with Raelle's characterization here. Oh well. :/
> 
> I have the next chapter started, so it shouldn't be so long of a wait for the next update. Fingers crossed.


	5. Chapter V

_Raelle’s POV:_

Here she was again. Waking up in a strange bed. A body pressed to her own. Her arms held Scylla tight, the other woman’s face hidden in her shoulder.

They had fallen asleep together then.

The clock showed half past twelve. Time had passed since she had returned to her reality. She had fuzzy memories of waking up in the Camarilla cell. Chained to a stone wall, shivering in the cold. Harsh voices ringing in her ears while they forced a nasty liquid down her throat.

They whispered important words. Words that slipped further away each moment. They wanted her to do something.

Something important.

Scylla was sound asleep. Breathing deeply, evenly. Raelle twisted to get a better look at her face. It was peaceful, unworried, settled. Different from the anxious undertones of this morning.

Taking advantage of the moment, Raelle relaxed into the pillows and let her thoughts come and go as they pleased.

In her reality, she was on the outs with Scylla to say the least. Scylla had been locked away in Fort Salem, was probably already transferred to the Caribbean prison where goddess knows what would happen to her. Her screams filled Raelle’s dreams most nights. Even now they echoed in her mind accompanied by the cruelty of her own words, provoked by hurt and betrayal. Scylla had been heartbroken in their last encounter, on her way to death with no hope. With no absolution.

The same Scylla slept so trustingly in her arms now.

Perhaps it would not be such a bad idea to live this life. If only for a moment. Even if it turned out to be a hallucination in the end. Some cruel trick of the Camarilla. Yet it felt real. The skin touching her skin, the warm beat of a heart next to hers was as real as the cold stone wall had been against her back.

Scylla stirred, nuzzled closer to Raelle, and grasped her shirt with a fist as she whimpered.

“Rae.”

A plea. A desperate one.

Her heart thundered against Raelle’s own chest as her breathing sped up. And Raelle froze.

She had long gotten over the anger. The impulse to hurt Scylla back. There were plenty of people hurting her now that she was a traitor.

No. Raelle was not angry. She was hurt, but that hurt was overshadowed by a strong urge to know that Scylla would be alright. Not necessarily alright with Raelle. But alright somewhere. Alright in a world that would not kill her.

Her own dreams often featured Scylla dying. Alone. Helpless. Crying out for her. Was Scylla dreaming this same dream now?

Raelle stroked Scylla’s hair and whispered soothing words. A sense of protection fueled her on. Now perhaps she could make up now for what she failed to do.

“It’s alright,” she heard herself saying.

Scylla jolted, gasped in a few short breaths, and started up so violently she bumped heads with Raelle. But as soon as she met Raelle’s eyes, her own fell closed with a relieved sigh.

“Bad dream?” Raelle asked, her voice raspy.

“Yeah.”

“Want to talk about it?” Raelle’s asked, unsure of what to say.

Scylla shook her head. “Seeing your face is enough. You know my nightmares are always about losing you.”

Raelle swore her heart stopped beating. A wave of affection, safety, and mostly guilt kickstarted the rhythm again. All she could think about was how she had left Scylla in that cell. Alone. Tortured. On her way to death without a word of comfort.

The atmosphere was thick and heavy. She needed to get away from this feeling. This guilt.

“Lucky I put up with you then,” she joked.

And Scylla laughed before lifting herself up on an elbow to smirk at Raelle. “I think it’s the other way around.”

A giddy feeling filled Raelle, harkening back to the carefree days when they first fell in love. She had let herself live in the moment then and she did that now, pushing aside any tainted memories in favor of the trust this Scylla had with her Raelle.

Before she could think of a comeback, Scylla shifted on top of her, kissing her pulse point.

“Sure you’re feeling alright? You hit the floor pretty good. Maybe I should check for injuries?”

Her voice was low and sent a warm sensation straight to Raelle’s center.

Scylla pulled back to look at Raelle, a teasing glint in her eyes. Her face was too close. Her thigh shifted dangerously close to –

“You know, I am feeling pretty hungry. All that passing out really upped my appetite,” Raelle said with a nervous laugh.

Scylla moved away after a peck on the lips. “And that’ll be me cooking for the second time today,” she said seriously, with a less intense glint in her eye. “See? I can survive without you. And you were worried for nothing.”

The bed shifted as she stood up. And just like that, Raelle’s hopelessness returned. Just as she thought she could fit into this time, Scylla referenced something she had no knowledge of. There must be so many memories. Years of closeness. Of inside jokes, thousands of day-to-day happenings.

And just like that, she was on the outs again.

Alone.

Lost.

A hand found her face.

“Hey. You look pale. Why don’t you rest here? I’ll bring something up.”

Raelle did not know if she could handle looking at Scylla right now, into those knowing eyes. So, instead she buried her face in Scylla’s stomach, clutching her closer with a nod.

“That would be nice. Thank you.”

Scylla’s strong hands found her shoulders held her without impatience, waiting for Raelle to end the embrace, stroking her hair gently all the while. When Raelle pulled away her face was wet. She turned away to hide it, but Scylla wiped the tears away with a light touch and a kiss on the forehead.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

The teasing tone was gone. Her voice was only calm and comforting.

So, Raelle relaxed into the pillows and closed her eyes, praying she wouldn’t be taken back to the Camarilla prison anytime soon.

She had never had breakfast in bed before – although technically this was lunch. She flashed a contented smile at Scylla in between shoveling large bites into her mouth.

“I see your appetite is still intact,” Scylla said, trying not the smile and failing.

Raelle made an appreciative noise. “This is so good. Aren’t you going to have some?”

Scylla glanced at the untouched plate on the bedside table, which she had abandoned after a few bites.

“Maybe later. I had a big breakfast.”

A calculating expression filled Scylla’s eyes as she moved closer and leaned her head on Raelle’s shoulder.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

Raelle froze. Scylla was looking out the window, and although her face was relaxed her eyes were not.

“I’m nervous,” Scylla continued, running her hand up and down Raelle’s arm.

“Why?” asked Raelle. Because she was nothing if not blunt.

“I’m always nervous when you leave,” Scylla said, words spoken so quietly Raelle almost missed them.

Leaving. Always nervous. A sinking feeling filled her gut and she gripped Scylla hand.

“I don’t want to leave you. Not again.” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but it came before she even realized, her voice lined with deep emotion.

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, for Scylla turned in surprise.

“Really?”

It was getting worse and worse. Now Scylla had a hopeful look in those eyes.

It was time to backtrack.

“I mean if I had the choice, of course.” She stumbled over the words.

“But you do have a choice,” Scylla said strongly.

Would it be suspicious to feign a headache? But Scylla might make her sleep and if she went to sleep, she might be taken back to the Camarilla. She needed to stay here as long as possible.

“Yeah. Yeah, I know,” she said weakly. “I just meant –"

She had no idea what she meant.

Scylla must have sensed her stress.

“Hey. I know. It’s alright,” she hushed, kissing Raelle’s shoulder. “It’s been a long day. We’ll talk about this later.”

So, Raelle let Scylla soothe her. Let her chat about random day to day things. Let her be a distraction from cold reality.

Because this was not real. Not her real. A respite from heaven perhaps. The goddess pitying her plight before death. A hallucinogenic grace at best. Or, some psychotic break brought about by torture. She had heard of such things.

Whatever this was, she was content to be here with her soulmate. For that much was clear now.

She could not live without Scylla. Kind, forgiving, patient, careful, wild Scylla.

She would not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it to the end, thanks for reading!
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr! My username is [wizardingbeasts](https://wizardingbeasts.tumblr.com/).

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Should I continue the story? Lots of ideas floating around in my head...


End file.
